Product Reviews

Two Ornaments & Santa Toy

Duke is an almost 6 year old long haired German shepherd. He is a large boy, but doesn't use that to his advantage. He is a great dog and has been a very good big brother to his little sister Piper.

Custom German Shepherd Dog Ornament

Have you ever received a package and been so impressed with what was inside? That is exactly how I felt when I received the custom German shepherd dog ornament from Tails by the Lake. Duke holds a special place in my heart and when I got this most recent product review, I did get a little choked up. This ornament is a beautiful hand painted picture ornament.

Let me back track. Duke is a German shepherd, but he is also long haired and has a floppy ear, so it is impossible to find anything that looks like him. When I was approached by Tails by the Lake to do a product review, I was more than happy. What I received was a beautiful (or I suppose Duke would prefer handsome) representation of Duke.

The ornament is heart shaped and is made from mouth blown 33/4" matte champagne glass that is imported from Germany. You can both see and feel the quality. The champagne glass also gives the ornament a luxurious high end feel. It is topped with a holiday themed plaid ribbon and matching champagne glitter bone. The dimension of the ornament is 2 3/4" wide, making it large enough to be easily seen on a Christmas tree. It features Duke's handsome face on one side and his name on the other.

The hand painted picture of Duke is very detailed orientated. It shows the variation of color in his ear, the different shades in his coat, and the expression he so often gives. The artist also added some glitter to the painting that will shine in the glow of the Christmas tree lights. The artist has signed the ornament as well with the date, so that you will always remember the year you got this special gift.

One of my favorite things about this ornament is that while it is a Christmas dog ornament, it is not one that needs to be put away when you take the tree down. You could easily hang it up in your house after the Holidays for a year round decoration. This is one item I will cherish for years to come.

Goldendoodle Glass Dog Ornament

Along with the custom ornaments, Tails by the Lake also makes breed specific ornaments. So, for those lucky enough to have a dog that looks like it is supposed to, these would make a great gift for you or your dog loving friends.

We received a goldendoodle ornament to review and were very impressed by the quality of this one as well. It has great detail, is well made, and is light enough that it won't drag down a branch on your tree. These ornaments are available in many different dog breeds (cats as well), so you will be able to find your special gift!

For those that don't want to put this away when the Holidays are over, you are able to buy a very nice ornament stand with bone base so it can easily transition to a shelf.

Rip Apart Santa Toy

The last fantastic item we were able to review from Tails by the Lake was a fun rip apart Santa dog toy. This is the perfect toy for Duke as he loves to rip apart toys. The toy is rather large, so it is much better suited for a Duke sized dog than a Piper sized dog. It is well stuffed and features 6 different parts that your dog can destroy. The best part of this toy? After your dog has ripped it apart, you are the lucky one who gets to put it back together! Even though there is Velcro that attaches the pieces, it is strong so that the toy doesn't come apart as soon as your dog touches it. Piper really had to work to get a leg off.

This toy is also very festive in that it sings Christmas carols! Duke and Piper were able to play tug with this toy and both win as the toy eventually comes apart.

If you are looking for a toy that your destructive dog CAN destroy, this toy will not disappoint.

You can find out more about Tails by the Lake from their web site at www.tailsbythelake.com. Both of the ornaments take extra time getting to you, so please order early.